Party’s Over

The Olympics are gone. I’ll admit I got caught up in the hooplah for quite a while - it was basically impossible not to, especially when working downtown next to a major venue. Like Captain Kirk said in his final moments: it was fun.

So now what? Back to normal I guess. People will harp on about the lasting impression that Vancouver made around the world, but that harping is going to come mostly from people in Vancouver. Will people in Berlin, Seoul, Whitchita, Sao Paulo, or Perth be drawn to Vancouver any more now? Who knows. No one can guess at what the legacy of the Olympics will be, but this province and city blew its wad on the only big global event left, now that world expositions are so passé. So maybe it’ll be a boon, or a boondoggle. Can Whistler/Blackcomb get any more world-class skiing? Can the city sell any more million-dollar homes to the Chinese? Are people going to visit hoping to see Michael J. Fox greet them in a forest? Maybe a little.

What will I miss the most? The mascots.